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Kobold
Personality/Behavior Generally skittish and paranoid by nature, Kobold's are a regular nuisance to most any subturanean race, especially Dwarves and Gnomes who have to deal with them on a fairly regular basis. They aren't necessarily evil, but operate on a far more primal/instinctual mindset in which they will become aggressive if challenged in large groups but are incredibly cowardly when faced with an even slightly superior offensive. Sneak thieves by nature, they frequently raid earth fae settlements to steal food, supplies and have a particular fascination with shiny or sparkly things giving legend to vast Kobold treasure hordes somewhere in the Underdeep. Occasionaly in times of great desperation they may even venture to the surface under the cover of night to steal what they need but this is rare. They do have a spoken language made up of chittering and growls but have been proven capable of learning other languages. Description/Biology If one was to stand upright they would be around 3' tall with large round ears, animalistic nose, large, dark almond shaped eyes and prominent front teeth giving them a very rodent like appearance. They have thick possum like tails, long fingers and toes for climbing/digging and usually a tan to dark brown complexion with dark hair colors. On average a fully grown adult will have the intelligence of a 12 year old child. Climate/Terrain Underground Territories Kobolds can be found nearly anywhere in the vast and expansive cave systems of the Underdeep but tend to be found closer to where other civilized species can be found but still at a safe enough distance that they can flee if threatened. Society Kobolds live in tightly knit family groupings that share a "warren" or nest usually lead by a single male, chosen by level of strength or intelligence who becomes the only one permitted to mate with females for the good of their species. They often try to mimic the level of development of other societies they see (another reason for their thievery being an intense curiosity about other races) but rarely function the same way and usually just involve them trying to imitate such behavior more than serve any functional purpose. Their unique "earth swim" ability does make them naturally efficient and skilled miners but only a few warren's have realized the value of the rare gems and mineral deposits they find. Species Relations Kobolds being dimwitted by nature are easily fooled and have a long history of being used and abused by Cave Goblins, Deep Dwarves and any other darkly aligned race of the Underdeep. There are a few cases in which Gnomes have successfully made peace with certain warrens and even proved that they can be educated and "civilized" but the stigma against the species is strong among their more stubborn Dwarf brethren. They are also intensely terrified of Bodachs. Gender Relations/Roles Kobolds hold no distinction or difference between genders, all being expected to pull their weight except in the case of a pregnant female who remain in the warren and are cared for by other females. Love/Courtship The complex concept of "love" is something that native Kobold's can't particularly understand; all things are done for the good of the warren, as such there is no distinction between the love or respect they may hold for a parent, sibling, leader or mate. Sex For one reason or another, Kobold's are highly atrracted by the scent of foot sweat and become highly aroused in the presence of it. Most mating rituals between the designated male and female of consenting age involve licking and worship of the females feet, the raspy texture of the males tongue tending to be incredibly torturous for a particularly ticklish female although genetic conditioning has lead to most females enjoying the sensation. Actual coitus by proxy usually only lasts just long enough for the male to orgasm, although a few cutural beliefs claim that both male and female must climax for the sake of healthy children. The female will normally give birth to a litter of around 3-5 young who are then raised by the warren as a whole. Birthrights ::: ::: Earth Swim: One of the most surreal abilities Kobold's have that makes them such a problem is the ability to practically "swim" through solid rock or soil as if the very earth itself separates as they enter and allows them to tunnel with ease, closing behind them. This doesn't not work on processed materials such as metal, concrete, etc. Favored Class By default all Kobold's are Rogues but an occasionally powerful member may qualify as a Warrior. They have no knowledge of magic. Combat Kobold's go out of their way to avoid confrontation if possible, chosing instead to sneak in, grab what they can and then flee. If in a large group their only tactic is to swarm over the enemy; biting, scratching and stabbing with simple weapons like daggers or anything they may have stolen. A solitary Kobold however is the most cowardly thing in existence and will always run or beg for mercy. Variant: "Tainted Kobold" Many generations in the past, Cave Goblins began a process in which they would capture Kobold's and begin breeding them as cheap slave labor or exotic pets (or to a few eccentric individuals; concubines) to be sold on the surface world. Being surprisingly durable, adaptive and inquisitive, it was learned quickly that they could be trained and taught rather easily and have the less desirable traits bred out of the genealogy. When the Dark Lord Varagoss rose to power and put out his call to arms across the land, the still weak minded and suggestive Kobold's flocked to him in droves and were incredibly receptive to his whims. He already knew of their unique fondness for foot stink and put it to good use, using countless numbers as expendable tickle torturers in his vast dungeons. When the Dark Lord fell, these now empowered and more intelligent breed of Kobold fled into the wilderness or back underground and to this day are the only subspeces as a whole who openly worship Varagoss and wait for his return. Key Differences: :: Description/Biology: '''Tainted Kobold's stand upright, appear to be healthier and well bred with a definite gleam of malevolent inelligence in their eyes. They are also more likely to speak common surface languages. :: '''Climate/Terrain: '''Just as comfortable in forested regions where they can hide as they would be underground. :: '''Territories: '''Various forested regions or cave systems located across the neutral territories. :: '''Society: Tainted Kobold society much more resembles a religious cult than their tribal cousins in which grand tickling orgies and ritualistic practices are performed nightly paying tribute to their fallen earthbound god Varagoss. They frequently kidnap maidens from across the neutral territory and subject them to the most intense tickle torture imaginable in the hopes of gaining his favor from beyond. Those who are gifted with high endurance quickly realize what a curse it truly is; when a tribute is able to withstand such torments, the Tainted Kobold's believe its a challenge from their lord to try even harder to drive them to madness..........some don't survive. :: Species Relations: As one would expect, the Unseelie Court is very interested in the activities of the Tainted Kobolds and frequently employ their services as long as they claim to share their reverance for the Dark Lord. Many Tainted Kobold missionaries travel out into the world to share the word of Varagoss but frequently end up back in the slave trade as tickling concubines. Kobold's also have a particular taste for their old enemies the earth fae and always revel when they get their claws on one. On a slightly more tragic note, some have even been found capturing and enslaving their own untainted Kobold cousins or used for more wicked purposes. :: Gender Relations/Roles: '''Gender relations remain the same as the prior, however those who are particularly ticklish tend to become subjucated by their brethren as regular targets of abuse while the truly sadistic ticklers hold a higher rank. :: '''Love/Courtship: Once again only the designated male leader of the warren may procreate with its females, but such females are also regular targets for his sadistic tickle torture which most accept willingly desiring only to please the dark lord. :: Sex: '''The will of Varagoss has also greatly enhanced the virility and potency of the Kobold's sex drives so sex marathons involving a lot of tickling and hysterical orgasms are commonplace. :: '''Birthrights: '''Same, although they've refined their earth swim ability so that they may now mold earth into effective bondage to hold their prisoners tight. :: '''Favored Class: Rogue is still prided although a wider variety of other options including Warrior, Troubador, Mage and Cleric are all more viable. :: '''Combat: '''Tainted Kobold's are not only more intelligent and well organized, but have had nearly any sense of fear bred out of them entirely. In the darkness of deep woods or underground they are masters of complex group battle tactics always with the same goal in mind: capture all, hand pick the ones of "interest" and kill the rest. :: ::